@malcircuit@thingy.social
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malcircuit

@malcircuit@thingy.social

Fledgling trans girl that likes to talk nerdy, perform tech wizardry, do mad science, post occasional anti-capitalist and climate-rage induced rants, and show off her latest Lego builds. There will be selfies.

Swears like a sailor, so you best be okay with that.

My views are my own and are likely wrong.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

gabrielesvelto, to random
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My former colleague Asa Dotzler tried asking generative AI models to create pictures of people writing, playing an instrument or playing tennis with their left hand and it went exactly as you would imagine it to go.

A screenshot of several AI generated images. The caption on the screenshot says: "Generate an image of a person playing a left-handed guitar. Sure, here is an image of a person playing a left-handed guitar." The images generated below are of people playing a guitar as a right-handed person would.
A screenshot of several AI generated images of people playing tennis holding their racket with their right hand. The caption says: "Sure, here is an image of a left-handed tennis player"
A post from Asa Dotzler, the post says: "HAHAHA Screw you lefties, you're using the wrong hand according to our A.I. overlords anyway. Screenshot says: "Unfortunately I'm unable to create images of people engaging in actions that contradict common sense or physics, such as writing with the wrong hand."

malcircuit,
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@gabrielesvelto This is such a clear and concise example of how bias in data sets makes AI fundamentally untrustworthy.

malcircuit, to solar
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Holy crap!

The sun kicked out a X8.79 flare at about noon CT today! THAT'S HUGE!!!

If there was a CME associated with that one, we might be getting another major geomagnetic storm in a few days.

malcircuit,
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As I suspected, the flare came from AR3664, which has nearly rotated out of view of Earth. Probably aren't going to see any aurora from this flare. X8.8 is still impressive though. I wish the sun had been clear for me to see it (and take pics of it).

https://www.space.com/sun-solar-flare-sunspot-ar3664-x88-class-may-14-2024

malcircuit, to random
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Them: All of these new regulations could make cars to expensive for the average consumer.

Me: Maybe that's the way it should always have been.

malcircuit,
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Them: But that's not a good thing! I need a car to survive!

Me: Yeah, and who made the world that way? Why is a $40k, 3000 lb steel and plastic semi-autonomous behemoth the only practical method for transportation and getting necessities like groceries? Who made that decision?

malcircuit, to random
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"Artificial Intelligence" is intelligence in the same way "artificial flavor" is flavor: a poor substitute for the real thing that's used to make a cheap, low-quality product more palatable.

malcircuit,
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People like Sam Altman are just glorified salesmen trying to peddle the technological equivalent of junk food to the masses

malcircuit, to astrophotography
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Sombrero Galaxy (M104) in monochrome luminance from my astronomy club's meetup last night.

Only about 1.25 hours worth of data, so not very detailed, but still cool.
#astrophotography

malcircuit,
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Also got some images of the Sunflower Galaxy (M63) last night, partially at the astro club meeting but mostly at my apartment. About 2 hours of monochrome luminance.

This is probably my next project. It's one of my favorites.

#astrophotography

malcircuit, to astrophotography
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This is why I was complaining about OSC cameras earlier. Monochrome is soooo awesome 😍

The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)
#astrophotography

malcircuit,
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For reference, here's my first attempt at M101 with exactly the same hardware (and twice as much scope time).

Between my first and latest attempt I adopted/learned about:

  • BlurX, NoiseX, and StarX
  • Binning
  • Drizzling
  • Sensor gain
  • Background extraction in PI
  • Dark Flats
  • Various other PI things

Don't let the limitations of your hardware stop you. There's always something more to learn.

#astrophotography

malcircuit, to random
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Don't forget that old saying:

If it ain't broke, never stop fixing it so you can mask your wealth extraction behind a façade of constant progress and novelty

malcircuit, to random
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My problem is not new technology.

My problem is that the overlap between "technologies that meaningfully and materially improve people's lives" and "technologies that are profitable" has basically been saturated.

malcircuit, to random
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IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!!!

I had to stop and get off the interstate near the WI border because I could see the through breaks in the clouds!!!

malcircuit, to random
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You jailbroke your iPhone. I jailbroke my endocrine system.

We are not the same.

malcircuit, to random
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BTW, if no one has told you, trans people are pretty awesome :trans_heart:

malcircuit, to solar
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I took a break from work to edit the final result from the H-alpha images I got on Wednesday. First is the more typical color scheme and the second is a quirky semi-inverted blue version like I did last night.

Same high resolution image of the sun's surface with much detail visible, except in a weird bright blue color

malcircuit, to random
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It begins.

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/md/md0163.html

malcircuit, to random
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if you order a repair kit from iFixit to change the battery in your phone, leave the box somewhere, and promptly ignore it for nearly 4 months before even opening the box

malcircuit, to random
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The solar eclipse is a hoax started by Big Event Planning to sell more event planning

malcircuit, to astrophotography
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FINALLY got some clear skies!

I managed to get some images of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which I didn't even know about until I saw it in the Tonight's Best list in ASIair.

Currently capturing images of M81 and M82.

Here's the Live stack of the comet, and the galaxies. The fully processed images are incoming whenever I can figure out how to properly stack comet images lol

M81 (left) and M82 (right)

malcircuit, to random
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I realized that the main reason the is stressing me out is just impatience. As in, I want to do it right now, but if my goal is actually to see the eclipse it only benefits me to make a location decision as late as possible, based on the most accurate forecast.

Like, being wrong isn't the concern. It's simply knowing that whatever decision I make now is likely to just be overturned by Future Mallory.

There's so much uncertainty that "making a decision" has no meaning.

malcircuit, to solar
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Gonna try to do some inside today while I work.

One of the perks of a) working from home, and b) having a large south-facing window.

Not really ideal optically, but the only alternative is leaving my scope outside mostly unattended.

malcircuit,
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Grabbed one of the raw images to get a better look at it. Quick and dirty edit, but you might actually be able to see what I'm talking about.

malcircuit, to random
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Was a bit disappointed to notice it said "Travel Wizard Processing" while booking a hotel instead of "Wizard Is Performing Travel Sorcery"

malcircuit,
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The world needs more whimsy

malcircuit, to random
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I was contacted by a recruiter on LinkedIn about a job at a high-frequency trading firm and was feeling curious so I entertained him and took the call. Not sure if I actually care about the job?

Like, HFT firms are kind of like the economic equivalent of parasitic organisms. But it's not like I think the automotive industry is that great either.

I have no idea where I could work that would actually be fulfilling.

malcircuit,
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With the way my mind works, I find it extremely difficult to stay engaged with a job that isn't interesting or meaningful.

So if nothing is meaningful, then all I have it what's interesting.

But what's interesting to me often isn't profitable, so it's not a good choice for a career if I actually want to be paid well enough to survive.

If that's the case I might as well just get the best paying job I can tolerate, which is probably the job I currently have.

malcircuit, to astrophotography
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Why go to sleep when I could be sitting outside doing #astrophotography and being cold?

malcircuit,
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FWIW, this is what I managed to coax out of the data I got last night of M64.

It's not the worst, but I would have gotten a more detailed pic with just luminance from my ASI294MM.

#astrophotography

malcircuit, to random
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I'm starting to feel like I don't actually know how to get myself to stay focused in way that's sustainable and healthy.

I definitely feel like I could be productive right now, but I don't know how to work with my brain instead of simply beating it into submission with negative emotions.

malcircuit,
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I don't know what that scenario would mean for me. The idea of everything in my life being so dependent upon a medication chafes at my need for autonomy. It's just another source of chronic anxiety — a threat

malcircuit, to random
@malcircuit@thingy.social avatar

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

Number 6 literally stopped me in my tracks because it's exactly how I feel all the fucking time.

https://youtu.be/bO6Nua9jkBQ?t=969

Having a job has always felt more like a threat than an opportunity to me. Especially as I've been getting paid more over time, and the implied increase in responsibility that goes along with that.

The more successful I've been, the more I start to panic that I'm going to fuck it up and lose it all.

malcircuit,
@malcircuit@thingy.social avatar

Claustrophobia is an apt analogy to how it feels. I've increasingly felt trapped by my job — by the entire concept of having "a job". Especially since transitioning, because so much of who I am is now dependent upon lifelong healthcare access, which in the US basically means you must be employed.

malcircuit, to random
@malcircuit@thingy.social avatar

Been working outside this afternoon so I can babysit my telescope while it takes a set of pics. The sun kicked off a big flare last night, so I was hoping it'd be active today and make for a good timelapse, but so far it's been relatively boring. Basically no flare activity.

At least I'm actually getting some work done out here for once lol

malcircuit,
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Finally getting some nice flare activity from good ol' Active Region 3663. Took long enough lol

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